Results 4,541-4,560 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (3 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: I cannot quantify how many units are being provided this year in this Estimate.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (3 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: Not this year.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (3 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: I will follow the order in the Minister’s opening statement, starting with local government fund payments. Notwithstanding that the Department is no longer paying the general purpose grant to replace the local property tax allocation, the local government fund is being robbed of the rates associated with Irish Water. Even at that, the valuation throughout the country is €60...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 34 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (3 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: If I could be indulged, on foot of my first question, would it be possible to provide a breakdown county by county basis of the valuations applicable in arriving at the figure of €59 million? I do not expect that today.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: 1. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the progress made in the delivery of social housing units under the social housing strategy 2020; if he expects the targets for the construction and refurbishment of new units in each local authority area to be met this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9320/15]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: Yesterday evening we discussed the Estimates for the Department's spend, 52% of which is on housing. It would be no harm to discuss the issue and outline the means by which the Minister expects to meet the demands placed on the Department by virtue of the announcements made in budget 2015, Construction 2020 and the social housing strategy 2020. We are led to believe the housing crisis which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for his reply. In drilling down into the real facts contained within the figures we see that 2,000 leased units under the RAS can never become long-term homes for the occupants. Some 3,000 leased units are provided by the social housing agencies for which we do not have specific delivery plans on the table. They are leased units and the legislation does not allow for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: As the Minister said last night, many of the HAP payments represent transfers from the RAS. We could not elaborate on the percentages last night but all of them could be transfers from existing tenants under RAS schemes. Ultimately, the Minister's ambition will be measured by the record of success, when the year concludes, on the deliverability of what is proposed. I do not agree that it is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: My interpretation of this will be adjudicated to be correct.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: 4. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if all outstanding assets and liabilities relating to water infrastructure have been transferred from the local authority balance sheets to Irish Water, to date; if he will provide details on the way the reported central Government grant, paid to local authorities to cover outstanding liabilities relating to water...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: My question relates to transfer of assets and liabilities from local authorities to Irish Water. The legislation that governs the transfer was passed in December 2013 for the transfer as of 1 January 2014. Could the Minister confirm to the House that all assets and liabilities were transferred on that date? If not, why not, and what liability has since incurred to the State as a result of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: This again proves the point we have made from the outset, namely, this entire concept and its delivery was rushed, and needlessly rushed when one considers that no extra funding has been spent on the provision of water services during the four years of the lifetime of this Government. We were told that all assets and liabilities would be transferred. They have not been transferred because...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: I am nervous that the local government fund is not what it says on the tin either because it may be the case now that the €47 million provided last year was used to pay these ongoing liabilities.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: The Minister said in his initial response that the €47 million was provided to local authorities to meet the liabilities associated with it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: Was it from the Central Government Fund? How much will be provided this year, and will it be from the Central Government Fund because that is on balance sheet? There is great talk about moving the expenses associated with water services off-balance sheet. I might add that the €300 million Irish Water has borrowed so far off-balance sheet is two and a half times the rate it would...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: I will confine it to this. Last year the Minister said €47 million was provided to local authorities, and he said it again in his initial response, to meet the liabilities associated with the assets still on-balance sheet.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Remit (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: Can the Minister tell me how much is being provided this year? Clearly both are on-balance sheet. Were they contained in the local government fund provided to local authorities?

Order of Business (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: Will the water services Bill predate the decision of the Central Statistics Office, CSO, with regard to its submission to EUROSTAT on the entire construct of Irish Water? I would have thought the water services Bill should have predated any decision, considering that the Government has stated it consulted with the CSO before last November, when it made its climb-downs.

Order of Business (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: Yes.

Order of Business (4 Mar 2015)

Barry Cowen: I am asking the Taoiseach whether the water services Bill will predate it or if the CSO will make a decision in its absence, which would seem ridiculous in the extreme.